Artwork
The Hermit Saints Paul and Anthony Receiving Bread from a Dove
The Hermit Saints Paul and Anthony Receiving Bread from a Dove is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Domenico Campagnola. It dates from 1534 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:by later hand, upper right in graphite: 65; by later hand, lower left verso in graphite: Mar 2; by later hand, lower right verso in graphite: 1399 / H 391 / W 259
About this work
Overview
Domenico Campagnola’s drawing, dated around 1534, portrays two hermit saints, Paul and Anthony, kneeling beneath a gnarled tree. A dove hovers above, releasing a small offering into their outstretched hands. The composition is rendered in pen and brown ink applied over faint leadpoint sketches, emphasizing a quiet, contemplative encounter between the saints and the bird.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts the legendary episode in which a dove delivers bread to the ascetic saints, symbolising divine providence and the sustenance of faith. The saints’ humble postures and the modest setting underscore themes of spiritual poverty, reliance on heavenly aid, and the miraculous nature of ordinary sustenance transformed into a sacred sign.
Technique & Style
Campagnola employs dense, intersecting cross‑hatching to model the figures, foliage, and rocky ground, creating a nuanced play of light and shadow. The underlying leadpoint marks guide the composition, while the brown ink adds depth and tonal variation. The delicate, almost atmospheric sky is suggested with a few faint strokes, reinforcing the drawing’s restrained, meditative tone.
History & Provenance
Created in the early sixteenth century, the drawing belongs to Campagnola’s mature period, when he was active in the Veneto region. It survives as a single sheet, likely intended as a study or a devotional illustration. The piece has passed through several private collections before entering a public museum’s holdings, where it is catalogued as a representative example of Campagnola’s ink work.
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